Exploring Worship Bob Sorge: Psalm, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs, Pages 138-141

Spiritual songs: ‘‘songs of the spirit’’ — spontaneous songs of the moment that arise
from our spirits unto the Lord…They are usually not premeditated or studied but are
offered “off the cuff” to God. Spiritual songs provide individuality. Each worshiper is
able to sing his or her own unique spiritual song to the Lord — an offering that is
particularly pleasing to the Lord because it is the genuine expression of each individual.

Types or methods of spiritual songs:

1. The charismatic renewal has seen one very common type of spiritual song: the
singing of spontaneous praise with one sustained chord over which the entire
congregation sings, alternating notes between the first, third, and fifth notes of the
scale. Adding a rhythmic pattern on the instruments can augment this.
2. Another beautiful way to sing spiritual songs is to choose the melody of a known
chorus, and rather than singing the words that everyone knows, sing new words from
our hearts. In this way we are able to fulfill the scriptural injunction to “sing a new
song” unto the Lord, and we do not even have to learn a new tune.
3. Another musical form that has gained popularity more recently is the singing of
spiritual songs to a set chord progression

Two levels of spiritual songs:

1. On the first level, we sing a spontaneous song to the Lord, for the exclusive
enjoyment of the Lord and the individual.
2. On the second level, we can sing a spiritual song that is for the benefit and uplifting
of the entire congregation.
a. We can sing a spiritual song that constitutes nothing more than a simple praise
unto the Lord, expressed in the hearing of the congregation. This type of spiritual
song does not necessarily require any great “prophetic” anointing on the singer. A
person may simply be overflowing with thankfulness to the Lord for his goodness
and may sense that a song of thanks would be a blessing and inspiration to the
entire body, and so would sing a new, spontaneous song of thankfulness unto the
Lord in the hearing of the congregation.
b. A second expression of a spiritual song would be what has been termed by some
“the song of the Lord.” In this type of expression, the singer prophetically senses
the song of the Bridegroom over his people and reflects that to the congregation.
Many times such songs are sung in the first person — for example, “my people, I
glory in your praises.” The Lord speaks to his church through a human vessel who
carries a prophetic sensitivity.
c. A third type of spiritual song is very similar to a spoken prophecy, but rather than
being spoken, it is sung. Since it is a prophetic utterance, it should follow the
guidelines of 1 Corinthians 14:3 — it should either edify, exhort, or comfort
God’s people. In this type of spiritual song, the singer prophetically speaks a word
of exhortation or comfort from the Lord to his people.
d. As a final consideration, a spiritual song could conceivably be a reflection of the
heavenly song. Through prophetic insight a person could sing before the
congregation the song that is being sung in heaven around the throne.
 A Heart of Worship LaMar Boschman: A New Place In Our Hearts pgs.161-163

New Songs Bring a Rebirth of Worship

Renewed worship requires new songs. The familiar songs that have become standards
in our worship repertoire can be good expressions of worship. However, if that is all we
sing, our worship could become rigid and cold.
Old songs bring remembrances of what God did in the past, even if they speak of the
future. That’s because our minds associate those songs with memories of what happened
before. What is God doing today in your life? What is He saying to you now in your
worship?
The lyrics of new songs unlock our understanding about the Lord in areas that we
have perhaps not discovered before. They push the limits we have set in our worship
and require us to grow spiritually.
New songs expand our worship expressions and open up new streams in our spirits.
The Bible says that out of our bellies flow rivers of living water (John 7:38). These
streams forge new paths for our expressions of praise to the Lord.

Spirit-Songs Bring a Rebirth of Worship

The most powerful new songs are not the ones we learn from other people, but rather
the songs the Lord gives us to sing to Him. There is a uniqueness about singing a new
song He has put in our hearts. When we sing these spontaneous songs to the Lord, the
flow of the Holy Spirit increases in our hearts. Paul instructed believers to sing
Spirit-inspired songs.

“Be filled with the Spirit speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual
songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all
things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Eph. 5:18-20).

These are songs the Spirit of God puts in us to sing in praise and thankfulness to Him.
They are Spirit-songs. These songs encourage a rebirth of worship. They aid us in
posturing our hearts to encounter the Lord.

I believe these may be the types of songs that are sung in heaven.

“The four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each
having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And
they sang a new song” (Rev. 5:8-9).

Heavenly choirs of elders, living creatures and overcomers also sang a new song.

“I heard a voice from heaven, like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of loud
thunder. And I heard the sound of harpists playing their harps. They sang as it were a new
song before the throne” (Rev. 14:2-3).
 There is something powerfully refreshing when a congregation of believers lifts its
voice in one mighty song of spontaneous praise to the Lord. Though there are a thousand
melodies and an equal number of different lyrics, those songs are initiated and inspired
by the Spirit of the Lord from the heart of every believer. In that kind of atmosphere it is
easy to be renewed in worship and inspired to new realms of expression and communion.

Scriptures Concerning The “New Song”

Psalm 33:3, “Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy.”
Psalm 40:3, “He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will
see and fear and put their trust in the Lord .”
Psalm 96:1, “Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord , all the earth.”
Psalm 98:1, “Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things; his right
hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him.”
Psalm 144:9, “I will sing a new song to you, O God; on the ten-stringed lyre I will make
music to you,”
Psalm149:1, “Praise the Lord . Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise in the assembly of
the saints.